Kerry ‘completely capitulated’ to Hamas in ceasefire proposal, say Israeli sources

Times of Israel ^ | July 26, 2014, 8:48 pm

[Dave346]

Israeli ministers, who on Friday unanimously rejected US secretary’s offer, reported to describe him as ‘negligent, incapable of handling the most basic matters’

Israeli government sources on Saturday night accused US Secretary of State John Kerry of “completely capitulating” to the demands of Hamas and its champion Qatar in drafting the Gaza war ceasefire proposal that Israeli ministers unanimously rejected on Friday.

The unnamed sources, quoted by Israel’s Channel 2 TV, said Kerry “dug a tunnel under the Egyptian ceasefire proposal” — which Israel accepted and Hamas rejected last week — and presented the Israeli government with a text that accepted “most of the demands” raised by Hamas, the Islamist terror group that rules the Strip.

To the “horror” of the Israeli ministers, the Kerry proposal accepted Hamas’s demands for the opening of border crossings into Gaza — where Israel and Egypt fear the import of weaponry; the construction of a seaport; and the creation of a post-conflict funding channel for Hamas from Qatar and other countries, according to the sources. The proposal, meanwhile, did not even provide for Israel to continue demolishing the Hamas network of “terror tunnels” dug under the Israeli border.

Rather than provoke an open diplomatic confrontation with the United States, the report said, the appalled ministers chose not to issue an official statement rejecting the Kerry terms. Instead, word of the decision was allowed to leak out.

The cabinet was meeting again on Saturday night to discuss all aspects of the 19-day conflict with Hamas. Ongoing efforts were being made to reformulate the ceasefire terms, Israeli sources said.

Channel 2′s diplomatic reporter Udi Segal said “voices” from the cabinet had described Kerry as “negligent,” “lacking the ability to understand” the issues, and “incapable of handling the most basic matters.”

The Channel 2 report said that some of those involved in the contacts with Kerry had suggested that “perhaps there was some kind of misunderstanding” or that Kerry “was only presenting a draft” of the offer, but the secretary himself gave no indication that this was the case when he expressed his disappointment that no ceasefire had been agreed during a press conference in Cairo on Friday night.

Israel and Hamas did maintain a humanitarian truce through Saturday evening, during which Israel continued to track and demolish some of the Hamas tunnels. Hamas ended the truce unilaterally on Saturday night and resumed rocket fire.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, in a TV interview just before the Saturday night cabinet meeting, said Israel needed to continue its ground offensive in Gaza until it was confident that what the IDF had achieved “can prevent a fourth round” of conflict with Hamas and guarantee the safety of the people of Israel. “We have to be sure, the day after a ceasefire, that Hamas cannot restart digging tunnels” and amassing better, more dangerous missiles. “If we haven’t achieved that…,” he tailed off.

Israel was also fuming Saturday over the tactics followed by Secretary Kerry since Friday night in his ceasefire quest.

Kerry flew to Paris and held talks Saturday without representatives of Israel, the Palestinian Authority or Egypt, but with Qatar and Turkey, which Israel’s Communications Minister Gilad Erdan said showed “we’re a long way from a political solution.”

Privately, Israeli sources signaled deep dismay that Kerry engaged in the talks in Paris with representatives of Turkey, whose leadership is openly hostile to Israel, and Qatar, whose leadership is seen by Israel to be representing Hamas’s interests. Egypt was also understood to be deeply dissatisfied with Kerry’s tactics.

Israeli government sources also privately contradicted Kerry’s assertion Friday that his ceasefire proposal was “built on” the Egyptian proposal from last Tuesday. Far from resembling the Egyptian proposal, which urges an immediate ceasefire followed by negotiation, the Kerry proposal leans heavily toward Hamas, the sources said, in tying Hamas preconditions to a cessation of hostilities.

Said Erdan, in a Saturday evening interview on Channel 2: “We will not end this operation and leave Gaza until the tunnels are dealt with.” Israel is also intent on drastically degrading Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure, he said. “The international community needs to understand that we are very open to the economic rehabilitation of Gaza” once the conflict is over, but that if Hamas remained in control of Gaza, and continued to build rockets and tunnels, Israel “won’t be able to tolerate that.”

Saturday’s “humanitarian truce” in Gaza, in contrast to the Kerry ceasefire terms, was regarded as meeting Israel’s interests, government sources said. Israel was able to continue work on demolishing the tunnels, they noted.

On Friday afternoon, The Times of Israel published what Arab sources said were the key terms of the Kerry offer, which indeed made no provision for Israel to be able to continue tracing and demolishing the cross-border tunnels.

An Army Radio report on Friday night highlighted that the US on Monday signed an $11 billion arms deal with Qatar, and noted that Qatar is championing Hamas’s demands in the ceasefire negotiations, and is also alleged by Israel to be financing Hamas’s rocket production, tunnel digging infrastructure, and other elements of its military infrastructure. The radio report also claimed that Ban Ki-moon “is flying around the region on a Qatari plane.”

Channel 2′s respected Middle East analyst Ehud Ya’ari said Saturday that Turkey and Qatar are “Hamas’s lawyers,” and that it was “very worrying” to see how Kerry was handling the ceasefire process.

Six Israeli soldiers have been killed by Hamas gunmen emerging from the Hamas tunnels in five incidents in the past 18 days, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Hamas was planning massive terrorist attacks via the tunnels on Israeli kibbutzim that would have had “catastrophic consequences.”

Israel’s relations with Kerry, strained for a long time, were not helped when he was caught on a hot-mic earlier this week apparently sneering at Israel’s insistence that it is trying to tackle Hamas terror targets in Gaza with “pinpoint” accuracy. Comments made by the secretary in the same incident also indicated that Israel had not invited him to embark on this ceasefire mission, presumably because Israel wanted more time to tackle the Hamas tunnels.

The Israeli army’s southern commander, who is overseeing Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza, confirmed earlier Friday that he felt the army needed more time, although it had located what it believes are most of the tunnels.

Netanyahu has said Operation Protective Edge will continue and expand as necessary until sustained calm has been achieved for the people of Israel and Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure has been significantly weakened. Israeli officials have spoken of the need to have Gaza demilitarized, and the EU earlier this week demanded the disarming of Hamas and other Gaza terror groups. Hamas has fired over 2,000 rockets at Israel over the past 18 days. The IDF launched a ground offensive last Thursday that has focused on finding and demolishing the network of Hamas tunnels. Gaza officials say 1,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive; Israeli military officials say hundreds of Hamas gunmen are among the dead. The IDF toll is 40 dead, six of them killed by Hamas gunmen emerging from tunnels in Israel. Three civilians have been killed by rocket and mortar fire from Gaza.

[beethovenfan]

Way to go, Lurch. What a complete ass.

[ScottinVA]

Israel understands this US government is NOT its friend. The Obama regime stands with the muslims.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I guess JFnK is too corrupt to care that it’s not a valid negotiation if both parties are not involved in it.

[Diogenesis]

Kerry, Obama, and the WEF’s $4 Billion Bailout Plan for PLO/Hamas

VERY IMPORTANT.. Obama’s Brother Funds Hamas (Proof Below)

Hamas 'happy' with Obama's $900 million pledge [2009 Flashback: Never Forget!!]

U.S. Selling $11B in Weaponry to Gulf State That Supports Hamas, Syrian Jihadists

Why would Hamas negotiate with John Kerry after getting $47 million from him?

---

New Inconsistencies with Malik Obama’s IRS Paperwork Revealed on Eve of Hearing
the date stamped at the top of the Barack H. Obama Foundation’s 501(c)(3) approval letter
which bears Lerner’s signature, is dated June 26, 2011. That day was on a Sunday.

Lois Lerner approved tax exempt status for foundation
operated by Obama's half-brother on a Sunday

Deleted IRS Emails may be about Obama’s Brother
There is sufficient cause to believe that one of the reasons for
this digital document shredding may have something to do with
President Barack Obama’s brother, Malik Obama,
founder of the Barack H. Obama Foundation (BHOF).

Pictured: Obama’s half-brother wearing Hamas scarf that boasts ‘Jerusalem is ours—WE ARE COMING’

Obama’s Brother Joins Hamas, Wears Scarf Saying ‘Jerusalem Is Ours; We Are Coming’

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

” describe him as ‘negligent, incapable of handling the most basic matters’”

BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHA! He’s gonna need some ointment for that!

[Sarah Barracuda]

What do you expect from Kerry, he works for Obama and Obama’s ENTIRE Administration despises the existence of Israel..they want it wiped off the map just like the Arabs do. Kerry met the mother of the American Israeli Max Steinberg who was killed in Gaza..the first think he asked her was “How’s your day going?” she was shocked that he would ask her such a thing considering she was in Israel to bury her son..so after she said “How am I doing how do you think Im doing?” Kerry responded “Im having a better day than you are.”

[FlingWingFlyer]

Israel needs to tell old horse face to stay the hell out of this fight. Israel is fighting for its survival right now. They don’t need a coward telling them how to fight.

[Not now, Not ever!]

Given that we have a poodle of state, What can one expect?

[anoldafvet]

John Kerry, continuing the legacy of Madeline Halfbright and Hillary Clinton.

[McGruff]

“Israeli ministers reported to describe him as negligent, incapable of handling the most basic matters”

Ouch. That’s gotta leave a mark.

[sgtyork]

He speaks French. He was frantically seeking someone to surrender to.

[windsorknot]

Kerry would compare the Israelis to “Jinjus” Khan. What a putz.

[Pollster1]

Israeli ministers, who on Friday unanimously rejected US secretary’s offer, reported to describe him as ‘negligent, incapable of handling the most basic matters’

While this is true, Kerry is dramatically more capable than Obama.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

... the Kerry proposal accepted Hamas’s demands for the opening of border crossings into Gaza — where Israel and Egypt fear the import of weaponry; the construction of a seaport; and the creation of a post-conflict funding channel for Hamas from Qatar and other countries, according to the sources.

So in addition to funding for terror, and an overland route for smuggling arms, they want to give Hamas a seaport, so the smuggled arms can come in by water transport? Who's supposed to build the seaport. Israel?

[Diogenesis]

You should get out more. Mr. Kerry is associated
with both the 911 ATrocity and the Boston Atrocity.

And it does not look good.

In his long quest to help Islamic terrorists,
Kerry ignored warnings BEFORE the 911 Atrocity
and then helped found the terrorist mosque
that led to the Boston Atrocity.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“the US on Monday signed an $11 billion arms deal with Qatar,”

We have gone completely insane!

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Kerry flew to Paris and held talks Saturday without representatives of Israel, the Palestinian Authority or Egypt...

A consistent theme with him in one war or another.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Qatar is the same country where Obama sent the five terrorists from Gitmo for the one traitor schmuck Bergdahl

[bert]

no, by concentrating narrowly on Israel, you miss the big picture.

The enemy requiring armed nations on the Gulf is Iran. Qatar needs the arms to war with Iran. Qatar is our strong ally and home to our command presence.

Qatar and Israel have the common enemy of Iran